1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to enclosures and more particularly, to a portable enclosure which may be quickly and easily transported from one location to another, in order to accommodate and shelter people for various purposes. A typical function of the portable enclosure is to provide a temporary structure for sheltering children while the children wait for transportation on school days. Another use is a temporary shelter for the homeless. In a preferred embodiment the portable enclosure is fitted with a pair of wheels and a handle positioned above the wheels for transportation purposes and further includes a cover having a top cover segment which extends downwardly from the enclosure top, a side cover segment spaced from the top cover segment and a clear plastic window located between the top cover segment and the bottom cover segment. In a preferred embodiment the plastic window and cover segments are installed on the portable enclosure and connected by means of snaps to facilitate replacement and removal of the clear plastic window during good weather.
Stationary enclosures have long been utilized in public transportation systems at outside locations to shelter customers while the customers are waiting. These structures are typically constructed of aluminum and glass or "Plexiglass", with a bench located inside for seating purposes. However, there have typically been no similar provisions made for circumstances where children are waiting for bus or other transportation to school. Accordingly, the children usually congregate at designated bus stop locations in urban and suburban neighborhoods and are many times exposed to inclement weather for at least a brief period of time before the bus or other transportation arrives. Furthermore, the ever-increasing number of America's homeless are forced to subsist in the cities in whatever structures are available, including abandoned buildings, cardboard boxes and like shelter, which are, at best, poorly designed for the purpose. Accordingly, there is a need for a temporary enclosure or shelter which is portable, durable and inexpensive for these and other sheltering purposes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various temporary shelters and shading devices are known in the art. An early "Cotton Picker's Shade" is detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 659,114, dated Oct. 2, 1900, to A. Voorhies. The device includes with four wheels and a rope support extending around the frame for supporting a tarpaulin and creating shade for people picking cotton. A "Portable Canopy" is detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,128,558, dated Feb. 16, 1915, also to A. Voorhies. The canopy includes a pipe frame, a pair of large wheels rotatably mounted on the center section of the frame and a pair of small wheels mounted on the forward section of the frame, along with a tiltable canopy located at the top of the frame for creating shade. A "Beach Accessory" is detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,010,472, dated Aug. 6, 1935, to H. E. Angel. The beach accessory is characterized by an inflatable air mattress designed for use with a cabana-type structure which may be rolled in stored configuration and functionally deployed to shield an occupant or occupants from the elements. A "Portable Lawn Canopy" is detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,022,211, dated Nov. 26, 1935, to C. B. Leffert. The lawn canopy includes a curved top portion and screen side portions mounted on a frame, which frame is provided with four wheels for transportation purposes. U.S. Pat. No. 2,928,404, dated Mar. 15, 1960, to J. W. Klages, details a "Collapsible Shelter" which is characterized by a hexagonally-shaped top and corresponding side portions mounted on a rigid frame. A window is provided in at least one of the side portions and the side portions are attached to the frame by means of snaps or other fasteners to facilitate selective removal. U.S. Pat. No. 3,034,523, dated May 15, 1962, to R. J. Deshano, details a "Collapsible Tent Shelter". The tent shelter includes a metal frame fitted with a flexible seat and a flexible cover material is attached to the three sides and the top of the frame, with one side of the tent shelter open for access by an occupant or occupants. The collapsible tent shelter is foldable into a portable package when not in use. A " Collapsible and Portable Shelter" is detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,581,751, dated June 1, 1971, to Bertrand E. Evans. The collapsible and portable shelter includes a frame structure having inverted L-shaped members, with a radially-extending portion pivotally connected to a support unit at the lower rear part of the back of the shelter. A cover is attached to the frame members and the frame members pivot at the support unit for folding and unfolding the shelter. A fixture is secured to the unit for supporting the shelter in unfolded configuration. U.S. Pat. No. 3,865,429, dated Feb. 11, 1975, to Joseph K. Barker, details a "Portable Collapsible Shelter". The body of the shelter is formed by multiple identical panels, two of which form the end walls and the other two of which shape the back wall. The back wall panels are hinged together by flexible strips and are similarly hinged to the back edges of the side walls. Flexible sheets form the top and bottom of the shelter and allow for hinging of the two back wall panels relative to each other and hinging of the end wall panels relative to the back wall, such that the body of the structure can be folded flat when not in use. A visor shields the top of the open front and a novel apron covers the lower part of the front and extends over the knees of an occupant or occupants of the shelter, the height of the upper edge of the apron being adjustable.
It is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved portable enclosure which is characterized by a substantially rigid frame, a top cover provided on the frame and extending around the top, side and end edges of the frame, a bottom cover extended around the bottom side and end portions of the frame and a clear plastic window provided between the top and bottom cover portions for viewing purposes.
Another object of the invention is to provide a portable enclosure which is fitted with a pair of spaced wheels and a handle located above the wheels for transportation purposes.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a portable enclosure and shelter which is designed for use as a portable bus stop, a shelter for the homeless and like structure, which portable enclosure is characterized by a substantially rigid polyvinyl chloride (pvc) frame, a pair of spaced wheels attached to the frame, along with a handle located above the wheels for transporting the structure, and a removable cover mounted on the frame for sheltering the occupants.
A still further object of this invention is to provide a portable enclosure or shelter which is suitable for use as a portable bus stop and other temporary shelter and is characterized in a preferred embodiment by a substantially rigid plastic pipe frame, a top cover provided on the frame, a bottom cover extending around the front, rear and sides of the frame near the bottom of the frame and a clear plastic window provided between the top cover and the bottom cover and further including a door and seat mounted in the frame for accessing the interior of the portable enclosure by the occupants and seating the occupants, respectively.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a light-weight, portable, vented enclosure which is designed to serve as a portable bus stop, a shelter for the homeless or like sheltering structure, which portable enclosure includes, in a preferred embodiment, a frame constructed of polyvinyl chloride (pvc) plastic pipe, a cover attached to the frame, which cover extends over the top and around the upper portions of the side, front and rear panels of the frame, a bottom cover extending around the bottom portions of the sides, front and rear frame panels, a clear, plastic viewing area attached to the top cover and bottom cover, respectively, a seat located inside the frame for seating the occupants and a door hingedly attached to the frame for accessing the interior of the portable enclosure and further including a pair of wheels rotatably attached to the enclosure frame and a handle located above the wheels for transporting the enclosure to selected locations.